Shadow Slave

Usually, it would have taken Kai a lot longer to fly across the city to reach the tranquil terrace district… not that he would have. But today, the famous idol neglected his habit of staying low and out of sight. It seemed that his speed increased tremendously, as well, because ten minutes later, he was already at Sunny's door.

Maybe because of that, there was no crowd of paparazzi following him.

As they waited for Cassie, Effie rummaged through the empty refrigerator, then walked away from it with a disappointed sigh.

"There's no food!"

Sunny, who was evaluating the damage the boisterous huntress had done to the guest bedroom, glanced at her darkly.

"We've been gone for months. What did you expect?"

Effie made a sad face, then shrugged.

"But I'm hungry!"

Sunny let out an exasperated breath.

"...I have some synthpaste, if you want."

She shuddered and opened her mouth to retort, but at that moment, there was a knock on the door. If not for the haughty shadow standing guard outside — reluctantly, of course, since mundane tasks such as this were grossly beneath it — Sunny would have tensed up.

However, he already knew that it was Cassie.

The blind girl walked inside, froze for a moment, then raised a deliciously smelling package.

"...I brought food."

quick glance at Kai

Someone has

at the archer for

his looks assumed an almost hypnotizing quality. It was easy to get distracted

Kai and Cassie for a bit, Sunny couldn't help but shake his head ruefully, a stunned expression on his face. He finally understood why Master Jet had called herself average when they first met,

average in one sentence with someone like her. Jet possessed an intangible quality that no one he had ever met was able

And Sunny himself?

considered a flower boy, as Soul Reaper had once predicted, but even he couldn't call himself unassuming anymore. The scrawny kid from the outskirts was gone. Instead, a young man with porcelain skin and striking

himself, golden threads of Weaver's forbidden legacy glowed

settled around the

the fact that they should have been exhilarated by their triumph over the Nightmare, none of the four seemed too joyous…

just felt… hurt, tired,

the wounds dealt to their souls cut. Now that the danger had passed and the members of the

the Ivory City… all of

others had their share of demons to

himself a cup of tea, looked at Sunny, and

I don't remember much after being swallowed

and stared at the archer

what? You were

Kai smiled with embarrassment:

into his mouth.

anything. She even forgot

looked down, then

I managed to stall the… the fifth challenger for a while. He fell for my deception because he had assumed that I would not trust anyone with the knives, I think.

grew quiet for a